Security support for display articles

ABSTRACT

A security support for display article, in particular wrist-watches, designed to be integrated in a display unit includes a sensor fixed on the base and connected by a conductor were to a connector linked to an alarm central station. The support consists of a globally cylindrical block whereof the side surface is truncated along a chord to form a plane whereon is fixedly mounted a mechanical locking member adapted to co-operate removably with corresponding parts of the sensor fixed at the base of the watch, such that the latter thus equipped with the sensor, can be mechanically locked on the cylindrical block by the locking member and can be locked on that same block by winding of its own bracelet and by closure of its clasp.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is the 35 USC 371 national stage of International ApplicationPCT/FR01/01940 filed on Jun. 20, 2001, which designated the UnitedStates of America.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns a secured support for demonstration articles,notably wrist-watches intended to be integrated into a display rack.

More particularly, the invention concerns a secured support whichenables the handling of articles, while leaving them connected to analarm station in order to limit the risks of theft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In known protection systems enabling the handling of articles bypotential buyers, a sensor is attached to the bottom of a watch, forexample, and it is connected by a conductive wire to a connector inassociation with an alarm station.

This sensor is stuck and any attempt at detaching said sensor triggersthe alarm.

Nevertheless, it has been noted that it is sometimes insufficient toattach the sensor to the bottom of the watch since the sensors usedgenerally comprise a micro-switch held in compression by contact withthe bottom of the watch and that it was not impossible to neutralisethem by sliding a flat rigid object between the bottom of the watch andthe sensor in order not to trigger the alarm.

It has therefore proven necessary to further strengthen the safetydevice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To this end, the invention concerns a secured support for demonstrationarticles, notably wrist-watches, intended to be integrated into adisplay rack and comprising a sensor fixed to the bottom of the watchand connected by a conductive wire to a connector in association with analarm station.

According to the invention, said support is composed of a substantiallycylindrical block whereof the lateral surface is truncated along a cordin order to exhibit a plane whereon is added fixedly a mechanicallocking member capable of co-operating removably with correspondingsections of the sensor whereof an upper plane is attached, removably, toa seat fixed to the bottom of the watch, so that said watch thus fittedwith the sensor may, on the one hand, be locked mechanically to thecylindrical support by the locking member and, on the other hand,immobilised on said same support by winding and closing its ownbracelet.

Thus, any malicious customer will have not only to attempt to get rid ofthe presence of the sensor, but he will also have to open the wristwatchand unlock the locking member.

This invention also concerns the characteristics which will appear inthe following description and which will have to be consideredindividually or in all their technically possible combinations:

the mechanical locking member is composed of a U-shaped flat elementwhereof the open legs are parallel to one another and come from asemi-circular bottom whereof the diameter is greater than their spacingand substantially equal to that of a cylindrical seat of the sensor, inorder to enable said sensor to snap into the U-shaped member in aresilient fashion;

the cylindrical seat of the sensor is mounted to rotate freely withrespect thereto;

the cylindrical seat of the sensor forms, opposite its upper plane, acollar of diameter greater than said seat, capable of engaging under ashoulder formed of an enlarged lower section and of shape matching thelocking member, for retaining said member axially;

the support comprises, on the base of the substantially cylindrical blocthat it forms, a curvilinear groove leading, on the one hand, to itsupper plane closet to the open legs of the locking member and, on theother hand, to a lower zone of its cylindrical wall, in order to guidethe conductive wire, spiral-wound or not, in its section situated closeto the sensors;

the support comprises, on both bases of the cylindrical block that itforms, two axial toes protruding on either side of said bases andcapable to be accommodated in two open housings in a forked fashion, ofa shape matching said toes and realised on two stirrups of a displayrack;

both axial toes are of square section whereof the value is substantiallyequal to that of the spacing of the forks formed by the stirrups of thedisplay rack;

the support is made of moulded plastic material;

the support is made of wrought plastic material;

the support comprises a retaining element provided at the end of theplane of the cylindrical block of the curvilinear groove, intended forretaining the conductive wire when housed in the groove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This description is given for exemplification purposes, without beinglimited thereto, with reference to the appended drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a secured support according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the secured support according to FIG. 1, afterplacing a locking member;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the secured support according to FIG. 1,after placing a locking member and a sensor;

FIG. 4 represents the assembly of the secured support, the lockingmember, the sensor and a watch;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the support according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 represents an assembly of two stirrups for the secured supportaccording to the invention; and

FIG. 7 represents a sensor for the secured support according to theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The secured support 1 is composed of a cylindrical block 2 with a shellor a lateral surface A and two bases or end faces 21, 23. the lateralsurface A is truncated along a cord 3 to exhibit a plane 4 whereon isadded fixedly a mechanical locking member 5.

This mechanical locking member 5 is capable of co-operating removablywith corresponding sections 6 of a sensor 7 whereof an upper plane 61 isintended to be attached, removably, as well, to a seat 8 fixed to thebottom 9 of a watch 10.

Thus, the watch 10 is not only linked by a conductive wire 11 to aconnector 12 in association with an alarm station, but it is also lockedmechanically to the cylindrical support 2 by the locking member 5 and itis moreover immobilised on said same support by winding its own bracelet13 and by closing its clasp 14.

The mechanical locking member 5 is composed of a U-shaped flat elementwhereof the open legs 15 and 16 are parallel to one another and comefrom a semi-circular bottom 17 whereof the diameter d is greater thanthe spacing e of said legs 15 and 16. Said diameter d is substantiallyequal to that of a cylindrical seat 6 of the sensor 7.

Thus, the latter can snap into the U-shaped locking member 5 in aresilient fashion, according to a strength to be determined.

For retaining the sensor 7 axially, its cylindrical seat forms, oppositeto its upper plane 8, intended to be fixed to the watch 9, a collar 18of diameter d″ greater than the diameter d′ of said seat 6, whereas saidcollar 18 is capable of engaging under a shoulder 19 which is formed byan enlarged lower section 20, whereof the shape matches the lockingmember 5.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the cylindricalblock 2 comprises on the base 21 a curvilinear groove 22 leading, on theone hand, to its upper plane 4 close to the open legs 15 and 16 of thelocking member 5 and, on the other hand, in a lower zone of itscylindrical wall, in order to guide the conductive wire 11, spiral-woundor not, in its section situated close to the sensor 7.

Advantageously, the groove 22 is provided, at the far end of the plane4, of a retaining element 26 intended for retaining the conductive wire11 when said wire is housed in the cutting kerf 22. The retainingelement 26 is, preferably, formed like a tooth engaging between twosuccessive spirals of a spiral-wound wire 11.

Preferably, the cylindrical seat 6 of the sensor 7 is mounted to rotatefreely with respect thereto, to enable adequate orientation of theconductive wire with respect to the curvilinear groove 22.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the securedsupport 1 comprises on both bases 21 and 23 of the cylindrical block 2that it forms, two axial toes 24 and 25, protruding on either side ofsaid bases 21 and 23 and capable of being accommodated in two housings26 and 27, open as a fork, whereof the shape matches said axial toes 24and 25 and realised on two stirrups 28 and 29 of a display rack 30.

According to this embodiment, both axial toes 24 and 25 are of squaresection whereof the value c of one side is substantially equal to thatof the spacing e of the forks 26, 27 formed of the stirrups 28, 29 ofthe display rack 30.

Advantageously, the cylindrical block forming the secured support withits sensor is moulded of plastic material.

What is claimed is:
 1. A secured support for demonstration articles,notably wrist-watches, intended to be integrated to a display rack (30)and comprising a sensor (7) fixed to the bottom (10) and connected by aconductive wire (11) to a connector (12) in association with an alarmstation, characterised in that it is composed of a substantiallycylindrical block (2) whereof the lateral surface is truncated along acord (3) to exhibit a plane (4) whereon is added fixedly a mechanicallocking member (5) capable of cooperating removably with correspondingsections (6) of the sensor (7) whereof an upper plane (61) is attached,removably, to a seat (8) fixed to the bottom (9) of the watch (10), sothat said watch fitted with the sensor (7) may, on the one hand, belocked mechanically to the cylindrical block (2) by the locking member(5) and, on the other hand, be immobilised on said same block by windingits own bracelet (13) and by closing its clasp (14).
 2. A supportaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the mechanical lockingmember (5) is composed of a U-shaped flat element whereof the open legs(15, 16) are parallel to one another and come from a semi-circularbottom whereof the diameter (d) is greater than their spacing (e) andsubstantially equal to that (d′) of a cylindrical seat (6) of the sensor(7), in order to enable said sensor to snap into the U-shaped member (5)in a resilient fashion.
 3. A support according to claim 2, characterisedin that the cylindrical seat (6) of the sensor (7) is mounted to rotatefreely with respect thereto.
 4. A support according to claim 2,characterised in that the cylindrical seat (6) of the sensor (7) forms,opposite its upper plane (61), a collar (18) of diameter (d″) greaterthan said seat, capable of engaging into a shoulder (19) formed of anenlarged lower section (20) and of a shape matching the locking member(5), for retaining said member axially.
 5. A support according to claim1, characterised in that it comprises, on the base (21) of thesubstantially cylindrical block (2) that it forms, a curvilinear groove(22) leading, on the one hand, to its upper plane (4) close to the openlegs (15, 16) of the locking member (5) and, on the other hand, in alower zone of its cylindrical wall, in order to guide the conductivewire (11), spiral-wound or not, in its section situated close to thesensors (7).
 6. A support according to claim 5, characterised in that itcomprises a retaining element (26) provided at the far end of the plane(4) of the cylindrical block (2), of the curvilinear groove (22)intended for retaining the conductive wire (11) when it is housed in thegroove (22).
 7. A support according to claim 1, characterised in that itcomprises on both bases (21, 23) of the cylindrical block (2) that itforms, two axial toes (24, 25) protruding on either side of said bases(21, 23) and capable of being accommodated in two open housings (26, 27)like forks, of shape matching said toes (24, 25) and realised on twostirrups (28, 29) of a display rack (30).
 8. A support according to anyof the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it is made of a mouldedplastic material.
 9. A support according to claim 1, characterised inthat it is made of a moulded plastic material.
 10. A support accordingto claim 1, characterised in that it is made of wrought plasticmaterial.